I'm starting on developing a new original recipe based on something called La Genovese. I always have a pound of ground sirloin in the freezer and since I'm not a big meatloaf fan, it typically will sit until some night when I need something quick - usually tacos (though there was that one time I made Lebanese Kibbeh). The other day this struck me as very peculiar somehow, so I started hunting down recipes that used ground beef. And I found this:
La Genovese
(Serve over bow tie or penne pasta.)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
3 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, minced
1 tsp salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
3 TBSP white wine
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook beef, stirring to break up until it begins to brown. Stir in carrots, onion, salt and pepper. Continue to stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften and meat juices run clear, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and cook 1 minute more. Serve.
Notes: Based on other similar recipes, I determined that the carrots should be about 1/2 cup and I also added 1/4 cup chopped celery. Other adjustments included 1 TBSP garlic (added with the onion), 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (my Official Taster insisted that wasn't enough so I added more, and proved him incorrect, so we'll go back to my original instinct on the next run), 1 tsp dried marjoram leaves, and 1/2 tsp fennel seed. We grated fresh parmesan over the top.
Though this was good, I decided it still needs something more. So, next time I'll probably add some parsley and work my way towards some sort of creamy parmesan sauce. I'm not sure if that's what it needs, so I'm going to keep hunting for other ideas to try on it as well.
Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Ginger Butter
(mentioned on an eGullet forum and subsequently googled at Taunton Press)
6 TBSP butter, well softened at room temperature
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice, warmed slightly
2 TBSP minced fresh ginger
2 TBSP snipped fresh chives
Olive oil for the pan
4 salmon fillets (5 oz. each), skinned if you like, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, blend the butter, lemon juice, ginger, and chives well. Set aside at room temperature.
Heat the oven to 500 F. Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to make a light film. Sprinkle the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon, skin side up, and cook until nicely browned, about 1 min. Flip the fish over and put the skillet in the oven. Roast for 2 min. for medium rare; 4 min. for medium well. Check for doneness with the tip of a knife. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the fish to serving plates, and immediately top the salmon with a dab of the lemon-ginger butter.
Notes: I actually had two 8 oz. salmon filets, but went ahead and made the same amount of the butter. And we were more generous than a dab, probably putting a couple tablespoons worth on each filet. It came out pretty well, and I liked the play of flavors, especially between the ginger and lemon.